1. Technical Field
This invention relates to cordless telephones and, more particularly, to a remote cordless telephone handset cradle for use with a cordless telephone handset.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cordless telephones have evolved over the years from standard cordless telephone sets which comprise a base unit and an associated handset unit to cordless telephone sets which also include an auxiliary cradle for nesting the handset unit therein when the handset unit is located ten-tote from the base unit.
Some manufacturers of cordless telephone sets provide an auxiliary cradle without a source of charging current or other electronics in the cradle, but rather just for nesting the handset unit therein. Other manufacturers provide an auxiliary handset cradle that provides this source of current for charging the telephone handset unit. This handset charging cradle supplies a continuous charging current for the handset unit whenever the handset unit is placed in the cradle.
Some cordless telephones sets now advantageously include enhanced handset units that contain circuitry for providing increased functionality in communications between the associated base unit and the handset unit. The circuitry within these enhanced handset units allows these handset units to receive a ringing signal while located either in the cradle of the base unit or remote from the base unit. While located in the cradle of the base unit, the enhanced handset units are arranged so that data, representative of a ringing signal or a security code, for example, is provided to the handset unit over a direct-current changing path. This charging path is formed through mating contacts located on both the base unit and the handset unit in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,404 issued to R. E. Anglikowski et al. on Apr. 5, 1988. While the handset unit is located remote from the base unit, a ringing signal is provided to the handset unit via a radio frequency link between the base unit and the handset unit on a predetermined channel.
Although an auxiliary handset cradle which provides continuous charging current has been found satisfactory for use with a cordless telephone handset unit which receives a ringing signal from its associated base unit via a radio frequency link while in the associated base unit, such an arrangement is undesirable for use with an enhanced handset unit which looks for a ringing signal over the direct-current charging path through its battery charge contacts while it is being charged. It is therefore desirable to have an auxiliary handset cradle that allows charging of an enhanced handset unit while also permitting this handset unit to respond to a ringing signal while located in this auxiliary handset cradle.